Abstract
Psychological stress is increasingly associated with alterations in performance and affect. Yet, the relationship between experimentally induced psychological stress and neural indices of performance monitoring and error processing, as well as response inhibition, are unclear. Using scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs), we tested the relationship between experimental stress, using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and the error-related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe), and N2 ERP components. A final sample of 71 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to go through the TSST (n = 36; 18 female) or a brief mindfulness relaxation exercise (n = 35; 16 female) immediately followed by a go/no-go task while electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected. Salivary cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure confirmed increased physiological stress in the TSST group relative to control. Reaction times, accuracy, and post-error slowing did not differ by stress group. Two-group (TSST, control) by 2-trial type (correct, incorrect for ERN/Pe; go correct, no-go correct for N2) repeated measures ANOVAs for the ERN, Pe, and N2 showed the expected main effects of trial type; neither the ERN nor the N2 ERP components showed interactions with the stress manipulation. In contrast, the Pe component showed a significant Group by Trial interaction, with reduced Pe amplitude following the stress condition relative to control. Pe amplitude did not, however, correlate with cortisol reactivity. Findings suggest a reduction in Pe amplitude following experimental stress that may be associated with reduced error awareness or attention to errors following the TSST. Given the variability in the extant literature on the relationship between experimentally induced stress and neurophysiological reflections of performance monitoring, we provide another point of data and conclude that better understanding of moderating variables is needed followed by high-powered replication studies to get at the nuance that is not yet understood in the relationship between induced stress and performance monitoring/response inhibition processes.
Highlights
Lifetime psychological stress is associated with decreased overall health and well-being (Cohen et al, 2007)
We tested the relationship between an acute social stressor and the amplitude of ERP components associated with performance monitoring and response inhibition/conflict monitoring, including the ERN, Pe, and N2 components of the scalp-recorded ERP
Wu et al (2017) demonstrated a positive correlation between Pe amplitude and heart rate and cortisol levels following the TSST. These researchers hypothesized that the greater Pe amplitude may indicate that the more conscious the participant was of their errors, the greater stress they felt
Summary
Lifetime psychological stress is associated with decreased overall health and well-being (Cohen et al, 2007). Stress negatively affects specific cognitive processes including memory encoding and retrieval (Tollenaar et al, 2008) and attention (Bar-Haim et al, 2007; Yiend, 2010). Performance monitoring is another cognitive process that can be influenced by stress (Compton et al, 2013). The ability to monitor performance and adjust behavior is essential in adapting to a stressful situation to accomplish the goals of the intended task (Glienke et al, 2015). Neural indices of performance monitoring are moderated by situations or treatments that reduce stress and are correlated with increased life satisfaction and wellbeing (Robinson, 2007; Larson et al, 2010b, 2013b; Teper and Inzlicht, 2013; Whitton et al, 2017)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
